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Ah, says the youth, if we unkindly part,

Will not the poor fond creature break her heart?-
Weak soul! and blindly to destruction led!

She break her heart! she'll sooner break your head.
She knows her man, and when you rant and swear,
Can draw you to her with a single hair.-
But shall I not return? Now, when she sues!
Shall I my own and her desires refuse?—
Sir, take your course; but my advice is plain :
Once freed, 'tis madness to resume your chain.
Ay; there's the man, who, loosed from lust and
pelf,

Less to the prætor owes than to himself.
But write him down a slave, who, humbly proud,
With presents begs preferments from the crowd;
That early suppliant, who salutes the tribes,
And sets the mob to scramble for his bribes,
That some old dotard, sitting in the sun,
On holidays may tell, that such a feat was done:
In future times this will be counted rare.

*

Thy superstition too may claim a share : When flowers are strewed, and lamps in order placed,

And windows with illuminations graced,

On Herod's day;† when sparkling bowls go round,
And tunny's tails in savoury sauce are drowned,
Thou mutter'st prayers obscene; nor dost refuse
The fasts and sabbaths of the curtailed Jews.
Then a cracked egg-shell thy sick fancy frights,
Besides the childish fear of walking sprites.
Of o'ergrown gelding priests thou art afraid;
The timbrel, and the squintifego maid
Of Isis, awe thee; lest the gods for sin,
Should with a swelling dropsy stuff thy skin:

* Note XX.

+ Note XXI.

↑ Note XXII.

Unless three garlic heads the curse avert,
Eaten each morn devoutly next thy heart.

Preach this among the brawny guards, say'st thou, And see if they thy doctrine will allow:

The dull, fat captain, with a hound's deep throat,
Would bellow out a laugh in a bass note,
And prize a hundred Zeno's just as much
As a clipt sixpence, or a schilling Dutch.

NOTES

ON

TRANSLATIONS FROM PERSIUS.

SATIRE V.

Note I.

Progne.---P. 252.

Progne was wife to Tereus, king of Thracia. Tereus fell in love with Philomela, sister to Progne, ravished her, and cut out her tongue; in revenge of which, Progne killed Itys, her own son by Tereus, and served him up at a feast, to be eaten by his father.

Note II.

Thyestes.---P. 252.

Thyestes and Atreus were brothers, both kings. Atreus, to revenge himself of his unnatural brother, killed the sons of Thyestes, and invited him to eat them.

Note III.

When first my childish robe resigned the charge.---P. 253.

By the childish robe, is meant the Prætexta, or first gowns which the Roman children of quality wore. These were welted

with purple; and on those welts were fastened the bullæ, or little bells; which, when they came to the age of puberty, were hung up, and consecrated to the Lares, or Household Gods.

Note IV.

And my white shield proclaimed my liberty.-P. 253.

The first shields which the Roman youths wore were white, and without any impress or device on them, to shew they had yet atchieved nothing in the wars.

Note V.

And by my better Socrates was bred.---P. 253.

Socrates, by the oracle, was declared to be the wisest of mankind: he instructed many of the Athenian young noblemen in morality, and amongst the rest Alcibiades.

Note VI.

Sure on our birth some friendly planet shone ;

And, as our souls, our horoscope was one.---P. 254.

Astrologers divide the heaven into twelve parts, according to the number of the twelve signs of the zodiac. The sign, or constellation, which rises in the east at the birth of any man, is called the Ascendant: Persius therefore judges, that Cornutus and he had the same, or a like nativity.

Note VII.

And both have Saturn's rage, repelled by Jove.---P. 254. Astrologers have an axiom, that whatsoever Saturn ties is loosed by Jupiter. They account Saturn to be a planet of a malevolent nature, and Jupiter of a propitious influence.

Note VIII.

The Stoic institutes.---P. 255.

Zeno was the great master of the Stoic philosophy; and Cleanthes was second to him in reputation. Cornutus, who was master or tutor to Persius, was of the same school.

Note IX.

Not that which bondmen from their masters find,

The privilege of doles. --P 255.

When a slave was made free, he had the privilege of a Roman born; which was to have a share in the donatives, or doles of bread, &c. which were distributed by the magistrates among the people.

Note X.

Nor yet to inscribe

Their names in this or t'other Roman tribe.---P. 255.

The Roman people was distributed into several tribes. He who was made free was enrolled into some one of them; and thereupon enjoyed the common privileges of a Roman citizen.

Note XI.

Slaves are made citizens by turning round.---P. 255.

The master, who intended to enfranchize a slave, carried him before the city prætor, and turned him round, using these words, "I will that this man be free."

Note XII.

Now Marcus Dama is his worship's name.---P. 256.

Slaves had only one name before their freedom; after it they were admitted to a prænomen, like our christened names: so Dama is now called Marcus Dama.

Note XIII.

A will is to be proved;-put in your claim ;—

'Tis clear, if Marcus has subscribed his name.---P. 256. At the proof of a testament, the magistrates were to subscribe their names, as allowing the legality of the will.

Note XIV.

What farther can we from our caps receive,

Than as we please without controul to live.---P. 256.

Slaves, when they were set free, had a cap given them, in sign of their liberty.

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